Brian Sheerin said the moment he heard the 1977 album "Kiss Alive II," he knew that's what he wanted to do.
"It was downhill from there," Sheerin said with a laugh. "And while that's where my influence came from, the others in the band are different."
The band is Mower, with Sheerin, drummer Ryan Toth, bassist Chris McCredie, second vocalist Dominic Moscatello and second guitarist Matt Wannamaker. And they were weaned on everything from punk rock to Iron Maiden, Sheerin said by phone from San Diego. "But overall our goal was to be like Slayer and Snot. If you look at them, their energy as live bands put them on top. And that's what we tried to do from the beginning.
"We play live. And we make sure we do it right. Because people who see our live shows and like them will tell their friends."
However Mower is not content to be stuck in a music category such as hardcore or metalcore. "No, we all have had different influences. And we all are still finding new types of music to get into. The only music that's hard for us is the pop-country out there. But we love alt-country."
The band worked hard through the San Diego music scene and was finally awarded with tours that more than outweighed the heavy challenges during the band's early days — such as early lineup changes, and having equipment stolen that jettisoned a nationwide tour.
Now, with the lineup intact and the equipment as reliable as ever, there are still other challenges that arise, said Sheerin. "We do things pretty much ourselves. I just got off the phone making sure some of the hotels are booked for our upcoming tour."
Still, Sheerin said he can't complain. The band has signed with Suburban Noize records and has played festivals and toured with Soulfly, (hed)pe, Kottonmouth Kings. "We even played the same stage with our idol, Slayer. But one of the most rewarding experiences is recording our album ('Not For You') and having Mikey Doling (guitarist for Snot) in the production seat. We've known the guys in that band for awhile and Mikey knows us.
"He knows what we are trying to do and he guides us in that direction. He's open to suggestions and works with us. It was great."
If you go
What: Rikets, Mower, Drown the Stars, Separation of Self
Where: Club Vegas, 445 S. 400 West
When: Saturday, 8 p.m.
How much: $5
Phone: 364-8347
Web: myspace.com/clubvegasrocks or www.clubvegas.org
E-MAIL: scott@desnews.com